SFI Writes to Union Ministers
New Delhi: Students Federation of India (SFI) on Monday wrote to the Union Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports and the Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, raising concerns over the lack of an approved broadcaster for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in India.
In letters addressed to Union Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya and Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, the student organization described the situation as a potential “World Cup blackout” for Indian football fans.
According to the letters, SFI argued that millions of viewers could lose access to the tournament if no broadcast arrangements were approved before the start of the competition on June 11. The organization particularly criticized the lack of provisions for free broadcasting schemes through public broadcasters such as Prasar Bharati and Doordarshan.
The letter stated that football has one of the fastest growing fan bases in India, especially among the country’s youth, and that access to major sporting events is in the public interest. The letters also referred to the Sports Broadcasting Signals (Mandatory Sharing with Prasar Bharati) Act, 2007, arguing that major international sporting events should remain accessible to the wider public rather than being restricted by exclusive broadcast agreements.
SFI has urged the Union Government to intervene immediately and ensure free broadcast of the tournament on DD Sports. He also called for long-term policy measures to prevent similar uncertainty regarding future international sporting events. The issue reached the Delhi High Court, where it was held that the demands for free broadcast of the tournament were in public interest.
(This article was written by Rocheta Chakraborty, a student of the University of English and Foreign Languages and currently interning at Deccan Chronicle.)
